Speak Out April 2013

Event feedback and updates

L ast year I was delighted to be able to invest in two interstate voice professional development events. I attended the Voice Summit held in Adelaide on 21-22 September and the Australia Asia-Pacific Laryngoscopy & Dysphagia conference held in Melbourne on 27-28 October. Voice seminar feedback Educating the voice user, practicing voice techniques and exercises, and measuring quantities and qualitative changes in the speaker’s voice makes an enormous difference for my clients. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the return of normal voice to school students with nodules or severe inflammation of the cords and to adults such as teachers, deputy principals, singers and other voice users (e.g., sales people). These conferences gave me additional information to support treatment of my paediatric and adult clients with voice problems in private practice. Knowing more about the latest surgery, assessment and research into the area of voice has updated my knowledge base. One of the biggest advantages in attending extra professional development has been the opportunity to network and share knowledge with ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors and other voice therapists. If you are interested in this clinical area, I hope to see you at future WA and/or national professional development events relating to voice because knowledge in this area can assist people of all ages. For information about related workshops at SPA's upcoming National Conference (23-26 June 2013) please refer to your Conference program or visit the website. WA CPD in 2013 A bumper 2013 is planned for WA CPD with some big names coming to Perth!: Kate Short (June), Elise Baker (National Tour in August), Maggie Lee Huckabee (October) as well as dysphagia experts Cecilia Pemberton and Jocelyn Priestly (early August). A local favourite is also back – Mellanie Sherwood will be presenting BLADES I & II (registrations now open) and Jade Cartwright and Naomi Cocks later in the year. More dates and details to come so please keep an eye on Events e-News and the SPA CPD website. Remember that reduced rates are offered until 1 MONTH before an event, after which a $55 late fee applies. Inge Aldum Gaudin Speech Pathologist

MND affects approximately 1,500 people in Australia, and on average every day in Australia at least one person dies as a result of MND and another is diagnosed. MND affects the neurones (nerve cells) which control muscles that allow us to breathe, swallow, speak and move, resulting in weak and wasting muscles. As there is no cure for MND, the focus of treatment is to preserve quality of life and aid symptom control. The main themes of the clinical stream of the MND symposium this year were: cognitive change; patient autonomy and decision making; carer and family support; clinical trials and trial design; clinical registers and epidemiology; multidisciplinary management; respiratory support; and surrogate markers.

The “You can do it too!” poster on display in Chicago with Susan, Jim, Rilda, and Rebecca.

The allied health Home and Community Care (HACC) team at Bundoora Extended Care Centre (BECC) – together with Calvary Health Care Bethlehem's (CHCB) Neurology team, the Victorian Respiratory Support Service (VRSS) and The Motor Neurone Disease Association of Victoria's (MNDAV) Regional Advisor – run a monthly clinic for MND patients in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. This specialised clinic was the focus of a poster titled, “You can do it too! The development of a satellite MND clinic in suburban Melbourne, Australia” produced by Dr Jim Howe (CHCB) and BECC Allied Health staff Rilda Bennett, Sarah Jeffress, Rebecca Lamont, Patsy Mills and Krystle Ng. The clinic aims to meet the specific and complex care needs for patients with MND and their carers by collaboratively planning their treatment between agencies, and providing specialised multidisciplinary symptom management in their own homes. This clinic demonstrates a positive model of care for patients with MND, with a high level of patient and carer satisfaction reported by surveys. A similar clinic is now in development in Geelong, due to commence this year. Dr Jim Howe (neurologist, CHCB), Rilda Bennett (physiotherapist), and Rebecca Lamont (speech pathologist) from the BECC MND satellite clinic attended the International ALS/MND Symposium and presented the poster in Chicago. Susan Mathers (Neurologist, CHCB) also attended. The poster was well received with people asking questions about the clinic set-up and the collaborative management of patients with MND at BECC and in their homes. For more information about the ALS/MND Symposium or the poster, you can contact Rebecca Lamont on (03) 9495 3388 or Rebecca.Lamont@nh.org.au Shane Erickson VIC Branch Editor

Erin Masson WA CPD Coordinator

Speak Out April 2013

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